Whenever we talk about the longer forms of metal, it’s virtually always in the context of doom metal that our discussions always veer towards for obvious reasons, but it can be from almost any style that the form can take shape in should we just get a band bold enough to try it. In the various realms of black metal, it tends to be with an atmospheric edge that the black metal doesn’t come in longer forms but that still doesn’t stop some from making these long creations of scathing black metal glory that keep the energy at a constant high to deliver a performance that’s all but vicious. With their latest work, that’s precisely what Velka has brought to the table.

It’s always a task to make any sort of material that is long-form simply because of the skill and know-how that’s necessary in order to fill that space with material that’s actually interesting from its different angles rather than just filler that’s nothing more than a few minutes to skip right over. The use of atmosphere is typically how most forms of black metal can reach such lengths since you can fill that gap with drawn-out expanses that grip the ear of the listener, but it’s in the case of bands like Velka that we simply don’t see that approach. Rather, it’s for the seven tracks held within “Purgatori Ignis Iudicium” that we see this Spanish act tackle long-form black metal that’s incredibly straightforward with no atmospheric passages to be had with riffs and tremendous instrumentation taking their place as Velka really shows us what they’re made of with their debut album. It’s with just a simplistic approach that we’re given a nearly hour-long of unrelenting black metal the likes of which that we would almost always expect to see in shorter bursts, but it’s for the entirety of this record that Velka manages to show us just how it’s done as no stone is left unturned in the crafting of this work while they rarely traverse the same exact sonic territory twice that not only keeps the listener engaged for what comes next but it keeps “Purgatori Ignis Iudicium” moving forward at a constant pace rather than remaining in place simply to become quickly stale. Add on top of all of that prevalent themes that should touch all of us in some form or another in their harrowing nature that makes the soul shudder, and it’s not hard to truly feel intimidated before all that Velka has invoked in order to bring this album to life in all of its ferocious little details that all accumulate to make it a true powerhouse of black metal that seeks naught but to chain the very soul of our world before its feet.

With everything brought together in a dramatic and immensely effective fashion, it’s hard to look into what these seven tracks bring to the table and not be pleasantly impressed by what’s to be found therein with Velka certifiably putting what’s likely their best foot forward in order to bring their debut to life in such ferocious detail. The very power that’s conjured for the entirety of “Purgatori Ignis Iudicium” is something that must be feared and respected, and it’s by rule with an iron first that this creation always comes to us at an undeniable maximum with the end result nothing short of scathing black metal that will not rest before the whole world is in flames behind it.

LISTEN to “Purgatori Ignis Iudicium” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Velka on Facebook here.